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by Runie (Runic)



Series: "We Do Not Work at a Strip Club" [3]
Category: Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Family, Fluff, M/M, Parent Loki, Parent Thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-26
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-17 02:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1369885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor and Loki plan to go on their first date, but Sleipnir isn't happy at being left behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> So, yet again, this is not the story I meant to be next in the series, but as soon as I got the idea, I knew I needed to add it in. Hopefully the next part of the series will be the one I actually meant to be the second part of the series.

“Come in,” Sigyn greets, opening the door to Loki’s apartment. “Loki will be out in a minute. Sleipnir is a little upset.”

Thor steps into the small space, taking in Loki’s living room, separated from the kitchen by a tall counter. The apartment is clean with modern furnishings, but there are clues, from the drawings on the refrigerator to the children’s books on the coffee table, that a child lives here. “What’s wrong?” Thor asks, concerned that something happened to Sleipnir.

“He’s just a little upset that Loki is going out on his day off instead of spending it with him.” Sigyn’s lips purse into a thin line. It is obvious from her attitude that she cares greatly for both Loki and Sleipnir, and constantly worries about them. “I mean, it’s good how close they are, but it’s also good for Loki to get out and do something fun for once.”

“Hmm, well I might have a solution to that. May I?” Thor asks, gesturing to the hallway.

“Go ahead. If you can get Sleipnir out from under the bed, then more power to you.”

Thor doesn’t have to ask which room they are in, he can hear Loki desperately trying to reason with his son. Thor steps into the master bedroom, a little shocked at how cold Loki’s room seems. Loki, meanwhile, is on his hands and knees beside the bed, trying to coax Sleipnir out from under it.

“Hey,” Thor says, kneeling down beside him.

Loki gives him an exasperated look, but there’s a bit of hurt there as well. “I can’t get him to come out. Perhaps we should do this another night,” Loki suggests softly.

“Don’t take my daddy away!” Sleipnir yells.

“No one’s going to do that, Sleip.” Thor gets down on his belly so he can see under the bed and be eye level with Sleipnir. “You know, I was going to take your dad to the Game Zone.” Even in the dim light, Thor sees Sleipnir’s eyes go wide in wonder, torn between reverence at the name of the gaming center, and hurt that he is being left out. “I was going to suggest that you come with us, but seeing as you’re giving your dad a hard time…” Thor sighs and shrugs his shoulders.

Beside him, he hears Loki huff. “You are horrible,” he whispers. It only makes Thor smirk.

“No!” Sleipnir whines, shimming out from under the bed. “I’ve been good!” He grabs Loki’s hands and looks up pleadingly. “Please, Daddy! Please!”

“Are you going to throw another tantrum?” Loki asks sternly.

Sleipnir shakes his head so hard Thor worries he might hurt himself. “Best behavior! I promise!”

Loki pauses to think it over a minute, making Sleipnir squirm, but eventually says, “Well, I guess you’ll need to get dressed then.”

Before Thor can blink, Sleipnir is out of the room, running to his own. The sound of drawers opening and slamming shut reaches his ears, and Thor can’t help feeling proud of himself. He turns to Loki, and his smile falters. It’s not that Loki is upset, he just looks like he doesn’t know how to process what just happened. “I’m sorry if I overstepped a line.”

Loki gave one sharp shake of his head. “No. I just didn’t think you’d want Sleipnir to come along with us.”

Thor shrugs. “You made it clear that you and Sleipnir were a packaged deal, and I’m okay with that. I’d really like to take you out on a date, one where we’re not both falling asleep at four in the morning over crappy coffee from an all night café, but I’m not going to do that if it causes your son distress.”

Loki is silent for a moment, still seemingly confused as to respond to Thor’s easy going attitude. “You are carrying him when he passes out on the way home,” Loki finally says.

“I’m good with that,” Thor agrees with a laugh.

“Daddy! I’m ready!” Sleipnir calls.

Loki gets up and goes to his son. Thor hears Loki sigh, and can image that exasperated but loving look he reserves for Sleipnir. “Sleip, you have your Vaari’s sense of taste. Come on, let’s get you some clothes that actually match.”

Thor knows he shouldn’t get attached, not this soon, but he feels like he’s just come home.

/

“So see which one do you want?” Thor asks.

Sleipnir, sitting on his shoulders so he can see the prizes over the crowd, nods. “I want the Hawkeye.”

“You have enough for two,” Loki tells him, counting out all the tickets Sleipnir (with Thor’s help) has won from the multitude of games he has been playing all night.

“Hawkeye!” Sleipnir shouts again.

“He really likes Hawkeye then?” Thor jokingly asks Loki.

Loki nods, glaring at the Hawkeye action figure. “His favorite. No one can hold a candle to him.”

“Caw caw, motherfuckers!” Sleipnir shouts in response.

Thor knows he shouldn’t, but he laughs. Sleipnir smiles, pleased with himself, and says it again. Loki tries to reprimand Sleipnir, but Thor’s laughter makes it impossible. “I hate you,” Loki mutters, shaking his head. His dark hair falls in front of his face, and Thor realizes he is staring.

“You, moron, have enough tickets for a prize as well,” Loki tells him, shoving Thor’s tickets into his hands.

“Oh, that’s easy. I’ve got to get that fat Iron Man plush. Tony is going to get such a kick out of that.”

Loki and Sleipnir both pause, staring at him. “You know Iron Man?” Sleipnir asks.

“Yeah, Tony helped me open the bar. He technically owns ten percent of _Valhalla._ He comes in sometimes.”

Sleipnir leans down, looking at Thor as if he is a god. “Thor, can I meet him?”

Thor laughs, handing the Hawkeye action figures up to Sleipnir. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thor, Thor,” Sleipnir whispers, trying to keep his voice down as if he is sharing a secret with Thor he does not want Loki to overhear. “Can he introduce me to Hawkeye?”

“We might need some birdseed to lure him out,” Thor tells him.

“Daddy!” Sleipnir calls out, voice loud and enthusiastic again. “Daddy, we need birdseed!”

“Oh for the love of! Thor!”

/

That feeling of being home is there again as Thor carries Sleipnir, Loki walking beside them. Just as Loki had predicted, Sleipnir nearly passed out as soon as they were getting ready to go. Thor had scooped him up without a second thought, not minding that one of the Hawkeye action figures is still poking at his arm.

“Not many people would do what you did tonight,” Loki says softly. His fingers itch, as if desperate to take Sleipnir from Thor, but decides against it. “Most people who want to take me out want nothing to do with Sleipnir.”

“Well, they’re assholes. Besides, Sleip is a great kid.”

“Hmm.” Loki says nothing beyond that small hum the rest of the way to his apartment. Thor, for once, doesn’t mind the silence. Usually he likes to be surrounded with noise and laughter, that’s why he opened _Valhalla_ in the first place. But there on the street with Loki and Sleipnir, the silence seems appropriate.

Loki opens the door, allowing Thor back into his apartment. For a moment he seems to grit his teeth, but once it passes, he gestures back to the hallway and Sleipnir’s room. “Would you mind putting him to bed? Don’t worry about pajamas. He’ll only wake up, and then I’ll never get him back to sleep.”

“Right.” Thor is sure his heart might burst with joy. Anyone who has seen Loki and Sleipnir together knows how important Sleipnir is to Loki. Being allowed into a part of their life makes him ridiculously happy.

Thor holds Sleipnir in one arm as he pulls back the covers, and gently sets him down. He takes the Hawkeye action figures and places them on Sleipnir’s dresser before gently tucking him in.

“Thor,” Sleipnir murmurs, only half awake.

“Yeah, Sleip?”

“You like my dad?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Good, cause he likes you too.”

Thor’s face splits into a huge grin. “Does he?”

“Ye. So you’re not going to leave, right?”

“I don’t plan on it, little guy.”

“Not little,” Sleipnir protests, turning his face into the pillow.

“Of course not. Goodnight, Sleip.”

Sleipnir mumbles something unintelligible in response before going back to sleep.

“He’s down for the count,” Thor tells Loki, who is anxiously waiting for his return in the living room.

Loki nods stiffly. “Thank you,” he forces out, “for tonight, and for Sleip.”

“It was fun.” Thor isn’t sure what happened to the comfortable feeling he’d had a few moments ago, but it seems to have gone out the window. Loki’s nervousness is putting him on edge. “Look, Loki, I really do like you. I would like to take you out again sometime.”

“Next Monday,” Loki answers immediately. “And Sleipnir comes as well.”

Thor offers him what he hopes is his most reassuring smile. “I’ll have to think up something better than the Game Zone then.”

Loki scoffs. “Good luck with that.”

Thor chuckles. “Yeah, kind of set myself up for failure on that one.”

Loki takes a step towards the door, meaning to open it, but the motion takes him closer to Thor. He is close enough all Thor would have to do is lean down and their lips would be pressed together. “Loki, I would like very much to kiss you.”

Loki hesitates, fear flickering in his eyes. Thor opens his mouth to retract his request, but the fear vanishes, and Loki tilts his head up, pressing his lips against Thor’s. It is amazing, like someone started a wild fire inside his body. Thor holds Loki close, deepening the kiss. His fingers tangle in Loki’s hair, holding him close. Loki’s body feels so wonderful against his. Thor had imagined this before, but this is one of those times when Thor would say the cliché of reality being better than the fantasy applies.

Loki suddenly pushes against his chest, putting space between them. “Stop, Thor, please stop.”

Thor immediately drops his hands to his sides, taking another step back to give Loki more room. “I did not mean to pressure you, Loki. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”

Loki blinks, surprised, and then nods. It sets warning flags off in Thor’s mind. He knows if he asked, Loki would probably never speak to him again, but Thor wonders if Loki was previously in an abusive relationship.

“Thank you,” Loki says. “Still on for Monday?” he asks, obviously unsure after pushing Thor away.

Thor grins. “Definitely!”

Loki rolls his eyes and opens the door. “All right, get your sunny face out of my apartment so I can get some sleep.”

“Goodnight, Loki.”

“Out.”


End file.
